Azalea plant name ‘Pearls’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Azalea  plant named ‘Pearls’, characterized by its dark green-colored leaves that do not abscise during the cooling and forcing periods; uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; rapid flowering response; plants begin flowering about 24 days after cooling treatment; large and ruffled white-colored flowers with greenish centers; double hose-in-hose flower form; excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good flower substance for about five weeks in an interior environment; and very good resistance to  Cylindrocladium  in inoculated trials.

Botanical designation: Rhododendron hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Pearls’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Azalea, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida, an evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pearls’.

The new Azalea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Azalea varieties having uniform plant habit, profuse and uniform flowering response, dark green foliage, good foliage retention during the cooling and forcing periods, resistance to Cylindrocladium and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Azalea originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in February, 1995, in Alva, Fla., of the Azalea cultivar Athena, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,439, as the female, or seed, parent with the Azalea cultivar Solitaire, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,171, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Azalea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new Azalea by terminal cuttings taken in controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since February, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Azalea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Azalea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and/or light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pearls’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pearls’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Dark green-colored leaves that do not abscise during the         cooling and forcing periods.     -   2. Uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Rapid flowering response; plants begin flowering about 24         days after cooling treatment.     -   6. Large and ruffled white-colored flowers with greenish         centers.     -   7. Double hose-in-hose flower form.     -   8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining         good flower substance for about five weeks in an interior         environment.     -   9. Very good resistance to Cylindrocladium in inoculated trials.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Athena, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Azalea were more vigorous than plants of         the cultivar Athena.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Azalea were white in color         whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Athena were light         coral pink in color.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Solitaire, in the following characteristics:

-   -   3. Plants of the new Azalea were denser than plants of the         cultivar Solitaire.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Azalea were white in color         whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Solitaire were pink in         color.

Plants of the new Azalea can be compared to the plants of the cultivar Irish Lace, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,187. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the cultivar Irish Lace in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Azalea were more vigorous than plants of         the cultivar Irish Lace.     -   2. Plant habit of plants of the new Azalea was more spreading         than plant habit of plants of the cultivar Irish Lace.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Azalea. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Azalea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pearls’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Pearls’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. with three plants per 15- cm containers, in a polypropylene-covered shade house under commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 13 to 38° C. and night temperatures ranged from 0 to 26° C. Plants were pinched at planting, pinched a second time about 12 weeks later, and then pinched a third time about 12 weeks after the second pinch. After sufficient flower bud development, plants were cooled at 3 to 5° C. for about four weeks to break flower bud dormancy. Plants were subsequently forced into flower under commercial production conditions in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and description were about one year old.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rhododendron hybrida ‘Pearls’. -   Commercial classification: Evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Rhododendron hybrida cultivar Athena,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,439.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Rhododendron hybrida cultivar             Solitaire, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,171. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About five weeks at             temperatures of 24° C. Winter: About six weeks at             temperatures of 24° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About nine weeks at             temperatures of 24° C. Winter: About eleven weeks at             temperatures of 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial, evergreen; uniform             and outwardly spreading plant habit; broad inverted             triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit. Densely             foliated. Uniform and freely flowering habit with numerous             double hose-in-hose flowers per plant.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching; about four primary             lateral branches develop after the initial pinch (removal of             terminal apex); numerous secondary and tertiary branches             develop after the sequential second and third pinches.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 44 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 18.5 cm. Diameter             at base: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 1.8 cm.             Strength: Very strong. Texture: Young: Pubescent, fine brown             hairs. Mature: Woody; pubescent, fine brown hairs. Color:             Young: Close to 144A. Mature: Close to 165A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Foliage             retention: Very good foliage retention on plants of the new             Azalea that have been in a box for six weeks during the             cooling treatment. Length: About 4.9 cm. Width: About             2.3 cm. Shape: Mostly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture,             upper surface: Leathery, tough, durable; pubescent. Texture,             lower surface: Leathery, tough, durable; mostly smooth;             midveins and margins, pubescent. Luster, upper surface:             Glossy. Luster, lower surface: Somewhat glossy. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker             green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close             to 147A to 147B. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B to             147C. Petiole: Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Natural flowering season.—Spring after sufficient cool             period. If forced, plants typically flower about 24 days             after a four-week cooling treatment; rapid flowering             response. Flowers persistent.         -   Flower arrangement.—Flower arranged singly at terminals with             usually about three flowers per apex; uniform and freely             flowering habit. Flowers face upward to mostly outward.             Flowers rotate to somewhat star-shaped.         -   Flower appearance.—Double hose-in-hose flower form with             numerous petals and petaloids; white-colored flowers with             greenish centers.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—Large, about 8.75 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Excellent postproduction             longevity; under interior conditions, plants maintain good             flower substance for about five weeks.         -   Flower bud (before showing color).—Length: About 1.2 cm.             Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Petals/petaloids.—Arrangement: Double hose-in-hose flower             form; about three whorls of about 15 imbricate petals and             petaloids fused at the base. Length, largest petal: About             5.1 cm. Width, largest petal: About 4.3 cm. Shape: Beyond             fused base, spatulate with rounded apex. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close 155D;             towards the base, 145C to 145D; with development, greenish             coloration fades slightly. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 155D; towards the base, 145C to             145D; with development, greenish coloration fades slightly.         -   Sepals.—No sepals observed, all transformed into petaloids.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Flexible; strong, Texture:             Very pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: All stamens transformed             into petaloids. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 2.3 cm. Style length: About             1.8 cm. Style color: Close to 145D. Stigma shape: Deformed.             Stigma diameter: Less than 1 mm. Stigma color: Close to             144A. Ovary color: Close to 144A; heavily whiskered.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Azalea have been     observed to be very tolerant to rain and wind. Plants of the new     Azalea have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 0 to 38° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: In inoculated trials that were conducted in     Alva, Fla. during the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003, plants of the     new Azalea have been observed to be very resistant to infection by     Cylindrocladium. Plants have been not observed to be resistant to     pests and other pathogens common to Azaleas. 

1. A new and distinct Azalea plant named ‘Pearls’, as illustrated and described. 